THE BUSINESS MENTOR: Elevate your Management IQ: A series of fireside chats on business philosophy, market growth strategy, brand development, and common sense

THE BUSINESS MENTOR: ELEVATE YOUR MANAGEMENT IQ reflects my experiences with hundreds of clients over many years. The genius of business lies in the understanding of the principles and mostly in their implementation, so I focus on how to approach, apply, and benefit from business and market growth principles. These are simple concepts that will reinforce well-imbedded principles for many seasoned executives. For others, they should deliver a philosophy and practical insights. For all, I expect that it will provide a bridge between creative concepts and their execution and a sense for prioritization. Businesses today over-complicate things, often confusing themselves and more importantly, their customers and strategic partners. This is not necessary or desirable. Brilliant simplicity isn’t simple to incorporate into an organization but it’s do-able. You will read about appreciating the needs of customers and consumers and how you can solve their problems and deliver ideas and suggestions that they will value. I explain how creativity can be nourished in the workplace; that creativity and intuition complement the rigor of a disciplined planning methodology. Both are essential. I demonstrate how great long-term planning can be flexible and generate returns from the very beginning. Strategy is explained and demonstrated as a continuous program paving a path forward; and always beginning with an insightful understanding of your current situation as well as your crisp future vision. I explain how to develop core values and unambiguous unique visions and missions that are valuable to your markets and are an essential tool for the organization to screen decisions. I write about branding a lot, and how a well-managed brand will deliver the necessary bond between your customers and your company - resulting in loyalty, equity, and earnings. I often use the retail and manufacturing models as effective ways to explain brands and the relationships that they build between the creator of the brand and the consumers of the brand. In the section on organization effectiveness, you will find advice on harnessing the collective intelligence of groups, harvesting their creative powers, generating high motivation, and earning their trust, confidence and loyalty. I write about turning perceived disadvantages into advantages and the learnings and positive actions that can emerge from our understanding of failures, both our own, and those of others. My passion is the seeking of simplicity. I am convinced that there are only a few things you need to get right to be successful. The noise in the business world and the proverbial large number of moving parts – are illusions. I try to de-mystify business and relieve some of the intimidation. The book concludes with chapters that address the value and techniques around selling and presenting ideas, products, and services, consultatively, with authority. Mostly, I deal with effective communications, honesty, and simplicity in getting the right messages to the right audiences at the right time, using the low-cost and profound effectiveness of current communications technologies. The book also covers the risks and rewards of partnerships and alliances. My last chapter deals with the future. Everything will continue to change dramatically and with ever-increasing velocity, but some things will never change. Integrate these principles and styles and techniques into your workplace to create a happy, productive, cohesive team, working in a smart, creative organization that is connected with its customers, defined by them, driven by them, and valued by them. Financial prosperity follows automatically.

In a career spanning 45 years, Ira Teich was a C.A., then executive in a Fortune 50 multi-national before leading the market strategy practice of a renown Toronto consulting firm. Ira transitioned to CEO of a Harvard-acclaimed consumer strategy, brand, and design consultancy - growing that agency globally to become the most successful in Canada and one of the five largest in the world. Now semi-retired and busier than ever, he continues an international practice in market growth, brand, and communication strategies. Teich donates half his time to boards and to advising NGOs and governments, including the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) as a volunteer advisor on developing markets, trade, industry, product and place branding – to governments around the world. Ira has travelled and worked in over 80 countries.